What if one-and-done always existed? Where Kobe, LeBron, more would have gone to school

Nearly 20 years ago, one of the biggest and most notable rule changes in NBA history went into effect as the league’s collective bargaining agreement prohibited high school seniors from entering the NBA Draft. The rule stated that in order to be eligible for entry into the draft, players must be at least 19 years old and at least one year removed from high school graduation.

Fast-forward to the present day, and the term “one-and-done” has become one of the most popular phrases in the sport – referencing a player who played one season in college and then left for the NBA. The list of top one-and-done stars over the past 20 years includes the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson, and now, Duke standout Cooper Flagg, who appears headed in that same direction.

But what if the one-and-done rule was always in place and high school players were never allowed to make the jump straight to the NBA?

Our team at FOX Sports dug into some research to determine where we believe the top high school-to-NBA players would have ended up if they were required to attend college.

(Disclaimer: This list is based on supported research as to where each player was considering attending college before making the decision to jump to the NBA. The list excludes players who opted to play in Europe or the G-League instead of college. It also excludes overseas players. The ranking of these players, 10-1, is based on their respective NBA playing careers).

10. Tyson Chandler: UCLA

Chandler was a prep superstar at Dominguez High School in Compton, CA, a school known for producing multiple NBA players. He was named a Parade All-American and was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American Game during his senior season. He grew up as a UCLA fan, spending time with former NBA Bruins Baron Davis and Earl Watson during their time in Westwood. Chandler also reportedly considered Arizona, Syracuse, Memphis, Kentucky and Michigan, but he ended up skipping college and declaring for the 2001 NBA Draft, where he was selected second overall by the Los Angeles Clippers before being traded to the Chicago Bulls.

O’Neal was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, which means it should serve as no surprise that the former high school hoops standout favored the Gamecocks had he attended college. However, after a standout senior season at Eau Claire High School in which he was named a McDonald’s All-American, O’Neal made the decision to skip college and enter the NBA. In a recent interview with On3 National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw, Jermaine’s son, Jermaine O’Neal Jr., told the analyst that his father was “about to go there before he went to the league,” in reference to South Carolina. Instead, O’Neal declared for the NBA Draft and went on to become the 17th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Kemp starred at Concord High School in Elkhart, Indiana, but despite being one of the top players to come out of the Hoosier state in the ’80s, he made the decision to go out of state and verbally committed to Kentucky. Kemp actually enrolled at UK in 1988 but was required to sit out that season due to academic reasons. During his first semester, Kemp reportedly stole and pawned off jewelry that belonged to a teammate. He then transferred to community college for a brief stint before declaring for the 1989 NBA Draft. Kemp never played in college and went on to become the No. 17 pick by the Seattle SuperSonics. He enjoyed a 14-year NBA career where he was a six-time NBA All-Star.

7. Amar’e Stoudemire: Memphis

Stoudemire was a late bloomer who didn’t start playing organized basketball until he was 14. He played at five different high schools but finally settled in at Cypress Creek High School in Orlando, Florida, where he enjoyed a dominant senior season en route to being named a McDonald’s All-American. Listed as a five-star prospect and ranked among the top prospects in the nation, Stoudemire verbally committed to play for John Calipari and the Memphis Tigers. However, he later decommitted from Memphis and made the decision to jump straight to the NBA, where he was selected with the ninth overall pick by the Phoenix Suns. Stoudemire went on to have an impressive 14-year NBA career where he earned Rookie of the Year Honors, was a six-time NBA All-Star, a four-time All-NBA second-team member and a first-team All-NBA member in 2007. 

6. Tracy McGrady: Kentucky

McGrady was born and raised in Florida and played his high school basketball at Auburndale High School before transferring to Mount Zion Christian Academy in North Carolina for his senior season. It was there, and on the AAU Adidas circuit, that McGrady rose to stardom and became a household name. He was named a McDonald’s All-American, USA Today High School Basketball Player of the Year and North Carolina’s Mr. Basketball during his senior year. McGrady considered playing college basketball at Kentucky, where he would have joined a team coming off the 1996 national championship. However, once Adidas came to the table with a multi-million-dollar shoe deal, it was off the NBA for McGrady. To this day, though, McGrady still refers to Kentucky as his “adopted school,” adding, “I still root for Kentucky.”

The 2005 North Carolina Tar Heels will be remembered as one of the most dominant teams of the 21st century, featuring the likes of Sean May, Rashad McCants, Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, and more. The Tar Heels cruised to a 33-4 record that season en route to winning the national championship. Now, imagine if that team had Dwight Howard added to the mix? Yes, that’s right, if Howard didn’t make the jump straight from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy to the NBA, he would have attended UNC and been a member of that team. Instead, the Gatorade National Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American skipped college and went on to become the No. 1 pick of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. 

4. Moses Malone: Maryland

Moses Malone set the standard for high school players making the jump to the pros. After attending Petersburg High School in Virginia and winning back-to-back Virginia state championships, Malone signed a letter of intent to play college basketball for head coach Lefty Driesell and the University of Maryland. However, after the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association (ABA) selected Malone in the third round out of high school, he made the decision to forgo college and turn professional, becoming the first player in modern basketball history to enter the ABA professional ranks straight from high school. Malone played in both the ABA and NBA from 1974-1995 and was a three-time NBA MVP and a 12-time NBA All-Star. He won the 1983 NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers and was named both the league and Finals MVP.

3. Kevin Garnett: Maryland

The debate about where Garnett would have attended college still remains a heated one, 30 years after he made the decision to jump from Farragut Academy in Chicago straight to the NBA. There is one side that believes Garnett was set to play for Steve Fisher and the University of Michigan, and then there is the other side that remains confident Garnett would have played for Gary Williams and the Maryland Terrapins. When interviewed by Student Sports Magazine in the fall of his rookie season, Garnett had the following to say: “Everyone had me going to Michigan for a long time,” Garnett said at the time. “I led people on that I was going to UM. If I had gone to college, it was going to be Maryland. I was going to shock ’em all.” Regardless, Garnett made the decision to skip college and head straight to the pros, becoming the first player to do so in 20 years. Garnett went on to have an outstanding 21-year NBA career, which included being named a 15-time NBA All-Star, a four-time All-NBA first-team member, the 2004 NBA Most Valuable Player and a 2008 NBA champion.

2. Kobe Bryant: Duke

One of the greatest players in NBA history, Bryant went on the record to make it clear that if he had opted to play college basketball, it likely would have been for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke. He admitted Coach K recruited him the hardest and continued to recruit him even though the belief was he would make the jump up to the NBA. Bryant ended up doing just that, as he became only the sixth player in NBA history to enter the NBA from high school. Following a stellar career at Lower Marion High School, Bryant was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he spent his entire NBA playing career from 1996-2016. He was a five-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 2008 NBA MVP, 18-time NBA All-Star and an 11-time All-NBA first-team member. Bryant was voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

Where would LeBron James have gone to college if he didn’t jump straight to the NBA? That’s one of the biggest unanswered questions in sports history, but the more time that passes since King James made the leap from Akron St. Vincent High School to the NBA back in 2003, the more the answer to where he would have gone to college becomes clear: Ohio State. Yes, James has gone on record and mentioned the likes of Duke and North Carolina recruiting him out of high school, but the kid from Akron has strongly hinted that if he didn’t make the leap, it would have been his hometown Buckeyes. Of course, James opted to go straight to the league and has since put together one of the greatest careers in NBA history, being named a 21-time NBA All-Star, a 13-time All-NBA first0-team member, a four-time NBA MVP, a four-time NBA Finals MVP and winning four NBA titles. 

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